In this meditation,
You are invited to journey into Oak Creek Canyon,
A magical place just north of Sedona,
Arizona.
It's a place where many electromagnetic lines meet,
Generating earth energy that is palpable,
Healing and transforming.
To begin,
Make yourself comfortable.
Imagine that you are dressed in shorts and a favorite cotton t-shirt that is soft from many washings.
You are wearing sandals that can take you into the creek,
Along with a hat to shade your face.
It's a hot summer day as you step onto the West Fork Trail.
The ground is sandy beneath your feet,
And the canyon walls rise up on either side of you.
The trail is shaded with oak trees that cool the rays of the sun.
There are other travelers on this trail,
Families,
Couples,
People of all ages.
Take a deep breath and catch the faint scent of apples.
You are walking through a wild orchard.
The trees are bursting with fruit,
Not yet ripe,
But promising sweetness when summer yields to fall.
Listen for the sound of the creek.
It appears as you come around the bend to the first of many crossings.
There are rocks placed in the water so you can easily step across.
Count the stones as you step out of ordinary time and space and into the presence of nature.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
As your feet find the trail again,
Your attention is captured by a collection of bright yellow flowers covered in butterflies.
The butterflies come and go,
Pausing for a moment or two and then off to another bloom.
As you look closer,
You can see there are also bees amongst the flowers.
They burrow in and take their time,
Harvesting the nectar and covering themselves in pollen.
Soon you reach a second river crossing.
The water only comes to the middle of your calves and looks so inviting.
It's time to step off the trail,
Get your feet wet and venture into the wild.
Someone has left a walking stick just for you.
Take a hold of it for balance as you step into the creek.
Wiggle your toes in the cool water as you feel the slight tug of the current.
So refreshing.
As you make your way upstream,
The sounds of the other travelers drop away.
Each step takes you deeper into the heart of the canyon.
Each step brings you closer to your own inner wildness.
Each step lightens the burdens you've been carrying.
What worries and concerns have been weighing you down?
Release them into the river.
What questions have you been asking,
Hoping for answers?
Release them into the river.
What memories have you been replaying over and over?
Release them into the river.
As you continue your journey,
Consider the words of the poet Khalil Gibran.
It is said that before entering the sea,
A river trembles with fear.
She looks back at the path she has traveled from the peaks of the mountains,
The long winding road crossing forests and villages.
And in front of her,
She sees an ocean so vast that to enter there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.
But there is no other way.
The river cannot go back.
Nobody can go back.
To go back is impossible in existence.
The river needs to take the risk of entering the ocean because only then will fear disappear.
Because that's where the river will know it's not about disappearing into the ocean,
But of becoming the ocean.
German There is a big rock sitting in the middle of the creek.
It's perfectly shaped to cradle your body in its embrace.
As you take a seat,
Remove your hat and lift your face to the sun.
Breathe in slowly through your nose and out through your mouth.
Notice how your body feels after spending this time in the canyon.
Replenishing yourself replenishes the earth.
Gradually bring your awareness back into the here and now.
Smile and give thanks for the butterflies,
Oak trees,
And the rivers and oceans that live within you.
Breathe in slowly through your nose and out through your mouth.
